I'm Here
by Iridian of the Shadows
Summary: No one, no matter how strong, can stand entirely on their own. Itachi shook one night, and without supporting beams he would have come crashing down. But that was okay. Kisame was there. KisaIta


Itachi was cold. It was one of the reasons he couldn't go to sleep. But the more important one was the nightmare.

He'd had it every night for almost a week now, and it was really wearing on him. He'd only been in the Akatsuki a month, and already he was freaking out.

You'd be freaked out too.

The dream went like this; Itachi woke up in his seven year old body in his room at home, a thump having woke him. Curious he stepped outside, only to see nothing. He walked into his parent's room, calling for them. But nothing was in the room, and no one answered his call. He began to be afraid.

Running into the street, he saw piles of dead bodies piled one on top of the other, with a person holding a bloody sword with his back turned to him facing the coming Uchiha soldiers. He watched them all fall under the strange man's hand.

Then, the man turned toward him with a sadistically insane face. Itachi jumped in surprise to see that his own face was staring back at him. The older him walked slowly towards him, smiling evilly. From behind the younger, more Uchihas jumped from the shadows and attacked. The older slain them easily, never taking his gaze from the younger.

As blood spattered him from his fallen family, he saw his 2 year old brother laying face up, his eyes blank and dead. ~NO!~ his mind screamed at him. It was impossible. He locked eyes again with his elder self, and the cruel words echoed through his mind.

"Look well, little one, for this is what you someday shall become!"

And the nightmare ended there. And when he woke, he was chilled all over again to find that what the older had said was true. He HAD killed his entire family, minus Sasuke. He didn't get any sleep all night after that. However, he would all but fall into his bed at night, and begin the cycle over again.

All he wanted was someone to comfort him.

For the first time since he was little, he actually wanted his mother.

But his mother was dead. He had killed her. No one was there to help him. But he needed someone to hold him so he could get to sleep. He was desperate for it. A few shaky hours didn't count as much on the battlefield, and he was beginning to lose his fine motor skills. He NEEDED sleep.

So he devised a hesitant plan. It would help him, but possibly destroy whatever chance he had to connect with his partner. But he had to try.

He dragged himself from his bed and galumphed over into Kisame's, lifting the covers and crawling in next to the large blue man. His back was to his partner, so he was facing outwards. Kisame was facing the same was he was, and he was nestled against his warm chest. He felt the muscles behind him contract, and Kisame shift to being propped on his elbows. He woke him up. Shit.

"Itachi-san? Are you okay?" Kisame asked tentatively.

Itachi answered in a small voice, "I had a nightmare." He was half- hoping that Kisame wouldn't hear, and that he could just mend this up and go back to his own bed for the night. This suddenly seemed like such a stupid idea.

At first Kisame didn't reply, and Itachi hoped beyond hope that maybe he would be done with questioning for the night. He just wanted to sleep.

Naturally, there was no such luck. Kisame furtively felt his forehead, as if looking for signs of a fever. "Itachi-san, are you sick? You're a little warm..." Itachi narrowed his eyes and huffily got out of Kisame's bed, heading across the room into his own.

He should have known.

He heard Kisame quickly get out behind him and catch up to him. "Itachi-sa-?"

"SHUT UP!" Itachi screamed. He hadn't meant to, but before he knew it the words were spilling out of his mouth. He turned to face Kisame as he yelled, "I'm perfectly fine, dammit! I don't know why the HELL I figured you would be any help! You're just like them! The second I show any weakness, you immediately think there must be something wrong with me, because I'm not allowed to be like everybody else! You're JUST like my FATHER!!" He took advantage of Kisame's stunned stillness and ran quickly into his bed, trying to hide tears as he realized that that really was what his life had always been like.

He was furious. But underneath that, he was grieving. Grieving the loss of not only his family and friends, but of his own life. For a moment, he wrapped himself up in his selfishness. For the first time in his life, he worried more about himself than other people.

Someone lifted the covers from where he had been clutching them close to his face. Gently, Kisame's already familiar warmth came up behind him, one large hand wiping away the flaming tears that had fallen.

"I'm sorry." He whispered so gently that Itachi wasn't sure he heard him until he spoke again. "I promise, I'll be there for you. You can sleep now. I'm here." Itachi had already begun to drift off, unable to stay awake knowing that there was someone there. He was so far gone, he barely felt the soft kiss on his cheek before everything went black.

"I'm here..."


End file.
